VALPARAISO SPIDEY 55 9.8................SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[otherworldsj33]

In regards to the pressing part of it, their might be a lag effect from those that were ahead of the curve, and those that are playing catch up, and a legit question is can there ever be enough 9.8 books out there. Maybe, maybe not. And does the hobby in general even care if a books been pressed, as long as it's got a CGC label? I'm saying eventually, yes, there will be a backlash, for some of the reasons stated above. As far as the economy, I too belived it would would have effected the hobby by now, but it seems we may be in a classic case of the market peaking before it adjusts itself, and sometimes these things can be drawn out. I'm thinking the true blue chips, Action #1, etc, will more or less hold their value, but a Spider-man #55 in 9.8 for 16K, no. On book like that, the inherent value is just not there, not in my eyes.

[Flaming_Telepath]

yeah and it only works to their advantage to publish high prices paid. Errr... unless Doug gets audited.

 

And we know how that sort of thing usually works out for him.

[500Club]

What do you think would be the catalyst if such an adjustment were to occur?

 

My guess would have been the economy. And if something as big as a tanking economy can't affect $50k purchases, you have to wonder what can.

 

I suspect adjustments will occur when the economy gets better, not worse. Prices started to go insane at roughly the same time the overall US economy started tanking, with my best guess as to why being that people looking to invest started putting that money into tangible assets such as collectibles. Once the markets become strong again, less money will go into collectibles and more will go into stocks and funds.

 

I know my own comic budget went up when the economy went south, because prior to the downward trend, I was putting the max the government allows into my 401K, whereas now I'm putting the minimum that my employer will match, giving me more spending money. If you're the type of buyer able to spend $16K on a Spidey 55, $30K on a GL 76, or $200K on an AF15, you almost certainly are redirecting some funds away from stocks and funds somewhere in your portfolio during this market crisis. It seems quite possible that some of the redirection is getting put by some of these buyers into comics.

 

I REALLY want the Marvel keys right now, but I'm considering waiting two years to see what happens to the high-end comics market after the overall economy recovers.

 

This may be the time you should be filling the 401K. Why wait for a comic price pullback, and not buy on a stock pullback?

 

'Buy when there is blood in the streets.'

[fantastic_four]

This may be the time you should be filling the 401K. Why wait for a comic price pullback, and not buy on a stock pullback?

 

I shoulda started doing that six months ago, you're right...I just haven't been watching the market closely. I didn't notice until last week that all of my 401K company's funds are up this year. I moved everything to a money market account in 2007, which turned out to be a lucky dodge, as I did it right before everything went into the toilet. Too bad I'm a collector first, investor second, as the best thing to do right now is sell comics and buy stocks.

[500Club]

This may be the time you should be filling the 401K. Why wait for a comic price pullback, and not buy on a stock pullback?

 

I shoulda started doing that six months ago, you're right...I just haven't been watching the market closely. I didn't notice until last week that all of my 401K company's funds are up this year. I moved everything to a money market account in 2007, which turned out to be a lucky dodge, as I did it right before everything went into the toilet. Too bad I'm a collector first, investor second, as the best thing to do right now is sell comics and buy stocks.

 

Good job with the money fund dodge! Boring stocks like JnJ and Coke have taken a good haircut, so you can still get in and get good value. Some debate remains as to whether there will be another pullback after the recent recovery, but long term, a lot of good companies are reasonably priced.

 

I certainly relate to being a collector first, though. I won't be selling my big books unless I need food.

[delekkerste]

My guess would have been the economy. And if something as big as a tanking economy can't affect $50k purchases, you have to wonder what can.

 

I suspect it's only a matter of time. I don't believe we've seen the long-term bottom of the economy by any stretch of the imagination. I think we may have finished the first phase of the downturn/debt liquidation, but if you're telling me that a credit binge of epic proportions that lasted well over 2 decades corrects itself in 2 years, I say you're

 

My guess is that things that held up during the first phase of the downturn (and that does not describe a lot of assets) will get clobbered when the next shoe drops. Even in the comic world (which, admittedly, I do not follow super-closely anymore), from what I've seen and heard, it's only a narrower and narrower segment of books that has managed to hold/appreciate in value.

 

But, really, we don't even need the economy to tank (or recover) for some of these ludicrous prices to correct themselves. The greed and bubble mentality is so engrained, pervasive and palpable that eventually this unstable and volatile mass psychological state will implode upon itself.

[fantastic_four]

Even in the comic world (which, admittedly, I do not follow super-closely anymore), from what I've seen and heard, it's only a narrower and narrower segment of books that has managed to hold/appreciate in value.

 

Keys and top-census copies, they're on fire like I've never seen them before, everything else is . Keys are actually declining very slightly from earlier this year and last year, but that seemed inevitable. The main thing I've seen in Silver Marvels is there are either one or two relatively inexperienced deep pockets who are just burning through every top-census copy, setting record prices for everything that's 9.6 or 9.8 by a factor of 5x to 20x what the market has seen before, and the price on this Spidey 55 has been directly influenced by those insane prices of late, even if it's not the same deep pocket who bought it.

 

This is an AWESOME time to sell if you have the right books. If it's a Silver Marvel in 9.6 or 9.8 shape that hasn't hit market in the last year or two, these two guys bid each other to ludicrous heights almost every time. My guess is that this book was bought by someone else who knows Doug just to keep the insane-bidding new guys from taking a run at it.

[Bronty]

Even in the comic world (which, admittedly, I do not follow super-closely anymore), from what I've seen and heard, it's only a narrower and narrower segment of books that has managed to hold/appreciate in value.

 

Keys and top-census copies, they're on fire like I've never seen them before, everything else is .

 

to me that's a manifestation of the bubble mentality gene talks about. People are only interested in the books they "know" will go up (because, after all, its "common knowledge" that keys and top census copies are sure bets).

 

I think if the hg market ever tanks this whole hobby is going to see some major carnage. If the high grade market tanks the whole bubble will burst and all other grades will get dragged down as well.

 

 

[NewWorldOrder]

Ok, I went out to dinner with TB a couple times this weekend at SDCC.

 

He did buy the book and he said there is NO color breaking spine tick on the book, but he was going to double check as I said the scan seems to show one.

 

I did bust his balls a little about how crappy it looked and that his 9.6 PC pedigree was much better.

 

He justs wants all his ASM's (among others) in CGC 9.8 and will upgrade at all costs.

[mschmidt]

Ok, I went out to dinner with TB a couple times this weekend at SDCC.

 

He did buy the book and he said there is NO color breaking spine tick on the book, but he was going to double check as I said the can shows one.

 

I did bust his balls a little about how crappy it looked and that his 9.6 PC pedigree was much better.

 

He justs wants all his ASM's (among others) in CGC 9.8 and will upgrade at all costs.

 

So a miniscule & insignificant defect was greatly magnified by a scan? Wow - I had no idea that was even possible.

[VintageComics]

[NewWorldOrder]

Ok, I went out to dinner with TB a couple times this weekend at SDCC.

 

He did buy the book and he said there is NO color breaking spine tick on the book, but he was going to double check as I said the can shows one.

 

I did bust his balls a little about how crappy it looked and that his 9.6 PC pedigree was much better.

 

He justs wants all his ASM's (among others) in CGC 9.8 and will upgrade at all costs.

 

So a miniscule & insignificant defect was greatly magnified by a scan? Wow - I had no idea that was even possible.